THERE is a "hidden time bomb" in Waverley, according to one councillor.
He was referring to the number of young people living at home who cannot afford to get on the property ladder.
The comments came during a meeting of the overview and scrutiny committee last week, when councillors discussed several reports on housing in the borough.
Willy Marshall said it was time to introduce new members of the committee to Waverley's "hidden time bomb".
"This is hidden homelessness - children living at home with their parents, but not claiming any benefit," he said.
"Sooner or later they will be in the community but they don't have any money to buy in the market place, so they'll come to us."
The reports, by council officers, said that the number of applicants on the council's housing-needs register had grown in the last year to 1,947.
Of these, 767 are families; 536 are single people; 174 are couples; 51 are single-parent families; 28 are expectant mothers; 17 are people with physical disabilities and 10 are split families.
So, although the largest area of need is the young, one third of the council's housing stock is designated for people aged over 50.
The head of Waverley's housing department, David January, said that this meant there was a "considerable mismatch" between the borough's housing need and housing stock.
"There does seem to be a considerable number of people on the waiting list," said Patricia Ellis.
"How can you have so many people on the waiting list with so many empty properties?"
Mr January explained that a number of the empty properties were at two of the council's sheltered housing schemes in Cranleigh and Witley. Others were at housing schemes waiting to be demolished, such as Kilnfields in Haslemere.
Another report was presented on the number of empty properties in the borough. As of March 31 this year, 101 were vacant.
"It is well within what is considered to be normal, about 2 - 4 per cent," Mr January said.
"It is a snapshot, that is all it is. A week later it will have changed."
Michael Allan said that there were six units that had been unlet for more than a year.
"I hate to use the word coercion, but could they not be persuaded?"
Before Mr Allan could finish the question, Mr January said that the matter could be raised at a workshop for councillors on housing to be held later in the year.
Mr January answered a number of other queries from councillors, on transfers of tenants from housing authorities, nomination rights, and the reduction in the number of families living in bed-and-breakfast accommodation.
He said that other issues, including the council's forthcoming homelessness strategy, could be discussed at the workshop.